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(No Model.)

D. W. SHORTEIL FEED RACK. No. 363,089, Patented May 17, 1887.

"ra'rns ATET FFlQlE.

DENNIS \V. SHORTER, OF UNION SPRINGS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF T1 GEORGEREED, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

FEED-RACK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 363,089, dated May 17,1887.

Application filed November 23, 1886. Serial No. 219,615. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern/.-

, Be it known that I, DENNIEi W. Snowman, of

Union Springs, in the county of Cayuga and State of New York, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Feed-Racks, which improvementis fully set forth in the following specification and shown in theaccompanying drawings. The object of myinvention is to produce animproved animal feed-rack, the same being hereinbelow fully described,and more partic ularly pointed out in the claims.

The feed-rack shown is intended more particularly for feeding sheep.

Referring to the drawings, Figure lisaside elevation of my improvedfeed-rack, parts be ing broken away, and a part of the frame and otherparts at the lower left-hand corner being verticallylongitudinallysectioned, as upon the dotted line a in Fig. 2, a cover of one of thesalt-boxes being shown in dotted lines as raised; Fig. 2, a plan of thesame, a part of one of the gates being broken away to uncover partsbeneath; Fig.3, an end elevation of the device seen as indicated byarrow y in Fig. 1.; and Fig. 4, a vertical transverse section of thedevice, taken as upon the dotted line 00 in Fig. 1, and viewed asindicated by the arrow pointed thereon, drawn to further show thepositions of the gates and the form and relation of the feed-trough,parts being shown in two positions by full and dotted lines.

Referring to the parts, A is the frame of the device,formed with equalvertical uprightparts or end boards,B, at the respective ends thereof,said end boards being opposite and parallel.

O are two equal opposing gates placed be tween said uprights, each beingheld upon two horizontal pivot-pins or bearings, g, rigid with saiduprights so as to swing or rock thereon. Thepinsg enter the end posts,lt,of the gates,and all four said pins are in a plane parallel with thebase of the device. The gates are formed with broad bottom rails, a, andtop rails, b,with vertical slats or rods it, held by said rails. Theuprights R are formed with curved parts t at their respective upperends, concentric with the respective pivot-pins g, and the top rails, b,of the gates extend at their ends over said respective curved parts,resting thereon, as shown. By this means the weight of the gates,

together with that of the contained hay, stalks, or other fodder, ismainly supported, and the pivot-pins g are relieved of much of thestrain that would otherwise fall upon them.

At the junction of the curved parts i the uprights are formed withprojecting parts Z, which form rigid stops for the gates as they arebrought together at the top, the rails?) e11- countering said projectingparts, as shown. The frame is formed with longitudinal feedtroughs d ateach side, for containing cereals or other line feed, and the gates areso hung that when swung apart at the bottom the bottom rails, a, thereofform covers for said troughs. \Vhen the gates are swung together at thebottom, the troughs are uncovered, as shown.

1' is a button held against the inner face of one of the uprights, uponthe endof a shaft,

s, reaching horizontally through said upright,

horizontal position its ends will bear against the adjacent posts of thegates when the latter are swung apart at the top, as shown, serving torigidly lock them in that position.

The gates are held together at the top by'a simple link, I, slipped overthe upwardly-projecting ends of the two middle slats or rods thereof.These two locking or fastening devices-that is to say, the button andthe link, respective]yprevent the position of the gates being altered bythe animals feeding, whether said gates may be opened or closed at thetop.

At the ends the device'is formed with transverse salt-boxes f, providedwith hinged covers c, which latter may be swung upward against therespective uprights and secured thereto when salt is to be fed to theanimals.

Carrying bars or handles 7L are secured at the ends of the device, as amatter of convenience in moving it about.

I secure tapering blocks a rigidly against the inner faces of both theuprights, between and in contact with the posts of the gates, as shown,which serve, to support the gates against an inward pressure exerted bythe ICO animals while feeding. The top lines of these respective blockscoincide with the lines joining the centers of the pins 9 at either endof the device, 011 account of which the upper corners of said blocks arein contact with the two adjacent posts of the respective gates, inwhatever position the latter may be. The blocks thus serve at all timesto support the gates against pressure from without and relieve the pinsof strain.

In use the gates are thrown apart at the top, giving an opportunity tothe sheep to eat from the troughs (1. While thus feeding, hay or otherfodder is placed between the gates. When the feeding at the troughsterminates, the gates are swung together at the top and secured by'thelink, as stated, and the animals allowed to feed by reaching throughbetween the slats n. The troughs (I, being covered when thegates are inthis position, are kept clean, and the animals prevented from puttingtheir fore feet therein. While the gates are together at the top the hayor contained fodder is in such position that thistles or otherextraneous matter contained therein rejected by the sheep, in falling,drop into the space or opening D within the frame at the bottom thereof.When this space becomes filled with rejected matter, the device is movedby persons grasping the handles h. One important advantage of thisdevice is that the dirt and foreign matter contained in the fodder fallswithin the gates, as stated, and not upon the necks of the sheep, thewool of which is the most valuable part of any upon the sheep. In

end boards, and longitudinal feed-troughs at the sides of the rack, thesills of said gates forming covers to close said respective troughs,substantially as shown.

2. A feed-rack having rigid end boards, in combination with tiltinggates pivoted to said end boards, a stop-button pivoted to one of saidend boards between said gates, and rigid supports a for the gates, heldto coincide with the respective linesjoining the adjacent pivots of saidgates, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a feed-rack, rigid opposing upright parts or end boards, incombination with a pair of gates held therebetween upon pivotpins orbearings to beswuug in vertical planes, said end boards being formedwith curved parts concentric with said pivots, and said gates beingformed with extended parts to bear upon said curved parts, substantiallyas and for the purpose specified.-

DENNIS W. SHORTER.

Q Vitnesscs:

ENos B. "WHITMoRE, M. L. McDERMorr.

